Interactive Data Visualization

Client

University of Michigan Health System Department of Family Medicine

The Challenge

The purpose of the Stepping Up to Health study was to test an the effectiveness of an online program to promote walking in people with or at risk for chronic disease. Study participants were assigned internet-connected pedometers to measure their progress towards weekly walking goals. The study's researchers needed engaging visual elements for the study's website to represent the data that participants had uploaded and to compare their progress with others.

The Solution

I developed a set of interactive graphs and visualizations for the Stepping Up to Health website using Adobe Flex. The graphs created allowed participants to view the data collected by their pedometers using flexible date ranges, at both daily and hourly increments, as well as see their historical success at meeting their goals over the total program duration.

This study's researchers also wanted to study the motivational effect of creating teams of participants, whose combined progress would be measured against one another. The fish tank visualization was created to provide a fun, at-a-glance view of the participation and success of team members relative to one another. Fish swimming around the tank represented the team members, and the speed, healthiness and range of motion of each was based on the success of that team member in meeting his or her goal.

Through the use of the interactive elements I provided, study participants using the Stepping Up to Health website were better able understand both their personal progress towards their goals and their team's overall success.

Technologies